Tuesday, July 31, 2012

I thought about breaking it into several installments but I can't. I am afraid my heart will sink everytime I look at the pictures of our trip. I had such an amazing time, seen so many beautiful sights and met so many incredible folks. I miss it all and yet, I am completely and utterly happy thrilled to be back, full on work and ready for the next chapter, whatever it may be.

We started the trip by landing at 7am in Glasgow. In our rental car by 8am, we proceeded toward the Mull Of Kintyre via Loch Lomond National Park. Let's just say that with no sleep and driving on the other side for the first time in over 20 years, the first 10 minutes of the trip felt right out of a video game. A video game gone wrong that is. With cars zooming towards you, on roads barely narrow enough for two, a stone wall or a cliff on your side, depending.

I have to tell you that none of it actually mattered. Every "oh shoot!" moment was followed by a "We are in Scotland! Dude! Nothing matters! We are in Scotland"...Yep, we could have totaled the car and gotten off the road, we still would have jumped screaming at the top of our lungs "Look at this! Wow!!".

That's pretty much the feeling and phrase that accompanied us throughout the trip. The opportunity to teach at Belle Isle and take a few days off before hand to trace back Bill's ancestors was something I will always be grateful for.

We took the road to the Mull of Kintyre and stopped at Oban for lunch, Scotch and to stretch our legs, keep awake and energized. Still going strong, we headed for our evening lodging, Stonefield Castle. We were trying to be as close as possible to Castle Sween, an ancestral family stronghold for Bill and while looking at hotels in the area, Stonefield, overlooking the sea, was equal to a hotel in town. You can guess what I picked. Yes. Our first night of the trip was at this incredibly beautiful and serene castle.

We crashed on the fluffy pillows as soon as we got to our room for a restorative power nap. Rested, we were ready to head out and explore our surroundings, the woods and forest around us. Beauty everywhere. We will be back and for a longer stay for sure. Everyone at the hotel was wonderful and the food was outstanding. I ate it. I did not photograph it.

Seems like a food photographer on vacation shoots just about everything. Except food. I shot flowers. And meadows. And flowers. All the little wild flowers that never get the chance to grow in hot and hotter South Carolina. you bet I had my fill in Scotland and Ireland.

The shores at Stonefield Castle.

Walking around Stonefield.

Flowers everywhere. Lush and gorgeous flora.

Bouees on a tree. Straight out of a Tim Burton's movie.

The next morning, we starting making our way to Castle Sween and a quite a few photo opportunities unraveled before our eyes. We spent half an hour with these horses. Every time we motioned away, they would come closer and wait for us to scratch their heads a little more.

Beauty.

Unexpected on an almost deserted road.

The area around Castle Sween is tranquil and lush. Green grass and low forestry.

Castle Sween. Bill got quiet and reverend. I could tell that a part of him was unsettled and curious. Sad too. So much he only knew from records and old letters. I also could feel that the bigger part of him felt home. It was truly magical to experience that moment of finding one roots with him.

The view commanding Castle Sween. Yes. Nothing to squint about...

Later that day we hopped on a plane to Belfast, got another rental car and started our way up the Northern coast as soon as we landed. We spent the night in the little village of Cushendall and after a local pub owner shortened our route by sending us on ferry roads and adding bridges to an otherwise silent map, we made way toward the Giant's Causeway. A good walk later, we headed out to Fanad's Head...another ancestral ground for Bill.

I seem to have an afinity for telephone booths....On our way to Fanad's Head. Still making our way through ancestral grounds and towns. After a night at Downing's Bay, we made our way down to Donegal. We were on a mission to find Castle Doe. Another family castle. Puts my French falconer ancestral roots to shame...!

At Castle Doe. Old stone. New life. Color.

Castle Doe. There was silence around us. Except for the winds and the legends.

After our stop at Castle Doe. It was time to head out to Belle Isle Estate for my workshop. We quickly got settled into our cottage and grabbed our gear for a little walk. The estate is gorgeous and the surrounding grounds lush and bountiful. The cottages were super cozy with all the amenities one can think of. We vowed to come back with my parents and rent a couple of them for an extended stay. So much to see and do in the area. Fermanagh is really a beautiful county.

A little peek at the Castle at Belle Isle.

Reminded me of The Princess Bride. I know...

Beautiful fruits and veggies are grown at Belle Isle and used at the cookery school where the workshop was help. Apples, redcurrants, blueberries, salads, herbs, peas, etc... Cows, sheep and hens can be seen and heard as well.

View looking out from the castle at Belle Isle. Not too bad...

The walled garden at Belle Isle. Push the door opened and be mesmerized.

Finally, it was time to meet up with everyone and start the second part of our trip. The workshop. The group of attendees gathered was absolutely delightful and hard working. I say that of every workshop I teach. I know. But it's true everytime. I am also very appreciative of the non negotiating trust they bestow on me to guide them right from the get go. I know exactly what's going on in their mind and I have no doubt that each day will be better and more fun than the one before.

Leona and Victoria. Fearless and talented.

Among the group we had a wide array of cultures and places represented. Ireland, Tel-Aviv, Dubai, Australia, San Francisco, Denmark, The Netherlands, Japan, Vienna. I was honored for the miles and hours everyone put in to come learn and play. Huge props to Corrie and her staff at Belle Isle Cookery School for feeding us and providing us with all the necessary foods and ingredients for the shoots we were practicing throughout the weekends. Thank you also to Charles and Fiona, the caretakers of the castle for their generosity and great disposition throughout the weekend.

Idan. Intense. And cute as a button...

Berries from the garden.

Lettuces and chives in the garden.

Dana and Elizabeth. Focused. Determined.

After knowing them for the past five years online, I finally got to meet Simone of Jungle Frog Cooking and Pernille. Simone, a professional food photographer herself, it was a treat to have her attend and soak in the atmosphere as we all did that weekend. Pernille works as an art director at her company and I had to smile at how much I could anticipate her reactions. It was nice to show other aspects of food photography to the attendees and why the eyes of an art director pushes a photographer that extra step further toward hard work well done.

It was an amazing trip. The scenery. The adventures. The people. The food. The time off spent with my husband. He's my compass. I'm the navigator. We keep each other good.

I am off to Washington D.C in the morning for a few days and the recipe posts will resume as soon as get back.

Sigh, I am overdue for a return trip home to the family farms in West Cork...this post has renewed my anticipation for your scone class at Squam in September! Looking forward to it, Helene...gotta start gathering my props!

Oh, Helene, your life is so dreamy. I just loved buzzing along with you on this trip. I adore everything about England, and Ireland, so I know I would just fall in love with Scotland. Thank you for putting together this post and giving a beautiful peek into your workshop world!

Forget food, please come do photography for the Irish tourist board! Who wouldn't come for a visit having seen these photos? You've made me very homesick, in a good way, for the wildness of Ireland. Thanks.

Since your workshop in Ireland I’ve gone from flicking through food magazines and cookbooks to get inspiration for the food I’m intending to cook, to now being completely distracted by the props, styling, camera angle, light … oh, the light!! And I blame you - in an amazingly great way of course! I honestly can’t thank you enough for those 4 incredible days in Ireland! Looking forward to Take 2!

Wow! Two of my favorite places in the world! My husband used to go to Dublin on business 4 times a year, so we spent as much time as we could exploring the breathtaking scenery. We also went to Scotland on our honeymoon in 2006. Started in Edinburgh and made a big circle through the north and back to that city. My husband is quite an excellent photographer.....you two should compare notes! He even wrote and illustrated a book (privately) after our first trip abroad together (Scandinavia).

Great shots ~ thanks for sharing! i know what you mean about fixating on certain things to shoot - i'm always coming home with pics of doors and windows! can't wait to visit that part of the world next ... thanks again!

So amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing! I'm off to Ireland at the beginning of September and am so excited - even more so after seeing your photos. I'm a huge fan of your book! You have really helped me grow as a photographer! I dream of one day getting to come to a workshop with you! {sigh!} Thank you so much for sharing your immense talent!!

I love the idea of picking berries from the garden and baking right away with them. It must be simply amazing...I would really love to have a small garden where I could grow my own produce.Anyway, all the pictures are amazing!

I can't stop coming back over and over to look at these photos. I'm from Ireland (though living in NYC) and I always love to see people's photographic interpretation of the country - it makes me see it in a whole new light. Thank you!

Gorgeous! My parents lived in Scotland for more than 6 months last year and I got to visit them this past fall. It really is a beautiful country, everything is so lush, and it really makes you appreciate all the history that Europe offers. And the architecture is gorgeous!

thank you for sharing these wonderful photos from your trip and from the photography workshop. I so wished I could have been there!When are you coming to Australia???Thank you for your constant inspiration.

So beautiful. After living in Ireland for 18 months, 5 years ago and crying nearly every day, I still get nostalgic when I see photographs of it! The silver light there is just so amazing and lends itself so well to beautiful, dramatic landscapes and flora & fauna photos. Thank you for sharing your massive photo post!

I have always dreamed to visit Ireland and Scotland for so long. The pictures you have taken made it more enticing. I think I couldn't wait anymore. I already booked one of the hotels near paddington station and after my London Tour, I'll go straight to these magnificent places. Thank you so much!

I wanted to visit Scotland and Ireland ever since I have seen it in movies when I was a little kid. When I finally did it last year, I can't contain my excitement even when I was still in the airport transfer sydney.

Breathtaking pictures! It's really amazing how beautiful photography can do for a person. For me, it makes me want to cancel my trip to London and head straight to Ireland! If only I haven't book my flight and my reservations at Abbey Court Hotel yet, I might do so.

I've always dreamed of going to Scotland. I heard a lot of good things about it and not to mention the great pictures. Although I don't think we can go on a vacation anytime soon. We are saving up because we found new homes for sale perth and we're planning to buy it anytime now.